NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
Crisis Clean Up – Tropical Storm Ida, Response Resources
For New Jersey residents living in Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, and Somerset Counties, you can apply with FEMA through the following ways:
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The fastest and easiest way to apply is by visiting disasterassistance.gov/ or by downloading the FEMA App on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
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If it is not possible to apply online, call 800-621-3362
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(TTY: 800-462-7585). The toll-free telephone lines operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT, seven days a week. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should update FEMA with their specific number assigned to that service.
New Jersey residents who live outside the affected counties are encouraged to continue reporting damage (residential structures only, no vehicles) from Ida as damage assessments are ongoing. Information collected in this portal will help local, state, and federal authorities better understand the location and severity of damage impacts. The NJOEM Public Damage Reporting portal is located at https://damagenj-njoem.hub.arcgis.com/
Also attached is information on the Home Clean Up Hotline which should be widely distributed to those in need of free muck out/gut/tarping services from NJVOAD partners.
Additional Fema Resources
New Jersey Department of Human Services
Human Services Continues Food Assistance Efforts Amid Pandemic and Tropical Storm Ida
NJ Human Services Delivering $140M for Summer Food Assistance Benefits for Eligible Children
P-EBT Food Assistance for Children
P-EBT benefits were extended for the summer months following last school year during which there was a COVID-19 public health emergency.
For children in households already enrolled in the state’s Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP), benefits are being loaded directly into their Families First EBT card. For children not enrolled in SNAP and who received P-EBT benefits during the school year, benefits are being loaded to the P-EBT card they received earlier this summer.
For newly eligible children for the free and reduced price school lunch program, cards are being mailed this week. These families should keep their new cards for possible future benefits.
The $375 per eligible child summer P-EBT benefit will be added to accounts of SNAP households with children under the age of six.
The Department has also continued to deliver P-EBT benefits for the 2020-2021 school year. Families already enrolled in SNAP and families who are not enrolled in SNAP are receiving benefits in their existing Families First EBT card or P-EBT cards.
Recipients can check their Families First account balance by visiting www.NJFamiliesFirst.com or by calling the phone number on the back of their card.
“Food insecurity has been a concern for many during the pandemic, especially for families that rely on the nutritional support provided by the school lunch program. We’re glad we can provide additional food benefits to eligible families to ensure children have access to healthy foods as they start the new school year,” Acting Commissioner Sarah Adelman said.
“This latest round of food assistance benefits continues the Department’s efforts to provide for eligible families that missed out on the free and reduced meals program due to the pandemic. We remain committed to bridging these gaps and providing the support that families need to ensure they have access to nutritious foods,” Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said.
New Jersey Department of Human Services
Stop & Shop & Food Bazaar Join Growing List of Stores Offering SNAP Online Grocery Shopping
NJ SNAP recipients can use their EBT card for online grocery shopping.
Stop & Shop and Food Bazaar are the latest retailers to offer online grocery shopping to New Jerseyans enrolled in SNAP.
“Online grocery shopping is convenient and in some cases necessary. We are glad that families enrolled in SNAP can take advantage of this at more grocery stores throughout the state,” Acting Commissioner Adelman said.
“SNAP families now have more options to grocery shop online. This is not only about convenience but facilitating greater access to healthy foods,” Deputy Commissioner Neira said.
“It’s great to see more grocery stores making online grocery shopping available to families enrolled in SNAP. We welcome these additions and the benefit they provide to the families we serve,” said Human Services Assistant Commissioner Natasha Johnson, who directs the Division of Family Development which has responsibility for NJ SNAP.
In addition to Stop & Shop and Food Bazaar, NJ SNAP benefits can be used online at the following retailers: Amazon, participating Walmarts, ShopRites, The Fresh Grocers, ALDIs and Super Foodtown stores in Port Monmouth, Red Bank, Ocean, Atlantic Highlands and Sea Girt.
New Jersey Department of Human Services- Division of Developmental Disabilities
Human Services Awards Contract for New Community-Based Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Co-Occurring Behavioral Needs
Human Services has awarded a contract for the development of three four-bedroom behavioral health stabilization homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The $4 million contract has been awarded to YAI, Inc. to develop homes to serve individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are experiencing behavioral challenges that make it temporarily unsafe to live at home.
“These three homes – one each in northern, central and southern New Jersey – will offer a safe, nurturing environment where individuals can receive the care they need so they can get home safely and successfully,” Acting Commissioner Adelman said. “This is another step forward in our work to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live and thrive in the community. With this additional support, our goal is to help individuals remain in the community and prevent hospitalization or the need for longer-term institutional care.”
The homes will be short-term placements in home-like environments staffed with professionals trained in supporting individuals with I/DD who are experiencing significant behaviors or behavior crises.
The program will not replace in-patient hospitalization when medically indicated, but will help prevent hospitalization for some individuals and will help provide a hospital discharge option to a safe and professional environment for others.
During the short-term stay, trained professionals will assess individuals and implement new behavior management techniques.
“This program will provide much-needed and highly individualized behavioral health stabilization services to the individuals served by the state and their families,” said Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Seifried, who directs the Division of Developmental Disabilities. “YAI has a solid track record of providing quality services to people with I/DD across multiple states, and DDD looks forward to partnering with them to move this project forward.”
